Humorous stories; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Private secretaries -- Fiction
"Then she mustn't," says Mr. Robert. "It would mean letting that crowd
get a foothold in Corrugated, and a loss of thousands to her. See if
the tape shows any recent fluctuations."
"Bluey-ooey!" says I, runnin' over the mornin' sales hasty. "Opened at
seven-eighths, then 500 at three-quarters, another block at a half, 300
at a quarter--why, it's on the toboggan!"
"She must be found and warned at once," says Mr. Robert.
"Am I the guy?" says I.
"You are," says he. "And minutes may count. I'll get the address for
you. It's in that----"
"Say," I throws over my shoulder on my way to the door, "whose aunt is
this, anyway?"
Looked like a simple matter for me to locate Aunty. And if she was out
takin' her drive or anything--why, I could be explainin' to Vee while I
waited. That would be tough luck, of course; but I could stand it for
once.
At their apartment hotel I finds nobody home but Celeste, the maid, all
dolled up like Thursday afternoon. She hands it to me cold and haughty
that Madame and Ma'mselle are out.
"I could almost guess that from the lid you're wearin'," says I. "One of
Miss Vee's, ain't it?"
She pinks up and goes gaspy at that. "Please," she begins pleadin', "if
you would not mention----"
"I might forget to," I breaks in, "if you'll tell me where I can find
'em quickest."
And Celeste gets the information out rapid. They're house-partyin' at
the Morley Beckhams, over at Quehassett, Long Island. "Rosemere" is the
name of the joint.
"Me for Quehassett!" says I, dashin' for the elevator.
But, say, I needn't have lost my breath. Parts of Long Island you can
get to every half-hour or so; but Quehassett ain't one of 'em. Huntin'
it up on the railroad map, I discovers that it's 'way out to the deuce
and gone on the north shore, and the earliest start I can get is the
four o'clock local.
Ever cruise around much on them Long Island branch lines? Say, it must
be int'restin' sport, providin' you don't care whether you get there
this week or next. I missed one connection by waitin' for the brakeman
to call out the change. And when I'd caught another train back to the
right junction I got the pleasin' bulletin that the next for Quehassett
is the theater train, that comes along somewhere about midnight.
So there I was hung up in a rummy little commuter town where the chief
industry is sellin' bungalow sites on the salt marsh. Then I tackles the
'phone, which results in three snappy conversations with a grouchy
butler at sixty cents a throw, but no real dope on the Beckhams or
their guests.
Well, it's near two A.M. when I fin'lly lands in Quehassett, which is no
proper time to call on anybody's aunt. Everything is shut tight too; so
I spreads out an evenin' edition on a baggage truck and turns in weary.
I'd overlooked pullin' down the front shades to the station, though, and
the next thing I knew the sun was hittin' me square in the face.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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